How to Measure the Success of Online Content

Ask any digital marketing expert and they’ll almost certainly tell you that content is crucial to your business’s success. And for most companies that advice will hold true. The only problem is that it can sometimes be difficult to determine the efficacy of digital marketing content. For example, is online content successful even if it doesn’t directly lead to sales conversions? Here, we’ll take a look at content and explain what makes content worthwhile and what doesn’t. Check it out:

The Importance of Goal Setting

Many share the misconception that all content marketing campaigns have the same basic goals in mind. However, this isn’t the case. Companies often have diverse objectives, varying strategies, and different challenges to reckon with. So it’s no surprise that a blog about microplates commissioned by a company such as Greiner Bio-One will likely be very different in style, tone, and objective than an article about spring fashion trends.

In other words, the first key to determining the success or failure of a content strategy is to review your specific goals. Do you want to attract new visitors or engage with current customers? Is your objective to educate an audience on a topic or persuade them to take action? Answer these questions first so you can tailor your content appropriately.

Track Everything

It’s possible to cherry-pick certain metrics to highlight the strengths or weaknesses of any given content strategy. Rather than zeroing in on one or two  specific statistics, make sure to track as many metrics as possible when you launch content. That way, you’ll get a full picture of how well your content is performing. For example, a blog post that generates thousands of views might seem like a great piece of content. But if it also has an extremely high bounce rate –– meaning readers are quickly leaving the blog –– it may not be nearly as effective as first thought.

Be Patient

Online content can take a long time to produce meaningful returns. A blog you write today may only gain traction on a search engine six months from now. While it can be frustrating for business leaders to adopt a wait-and-see approach with content, it’s usually better to be patient than to make quick judgements. Note, for this reason, timely content is best produced sparingly.

Conclusion

No matter the size or nature of your content efforts, all businesses must review their content closely if they want it to yield positive results. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or plain old mistakes can undermine your carefully-crafted efforts and ruin your content strategy. Remember, editing is just as important as writing!